Ommegang Biere D’Hougoumont & A Little Napoleon History

Founder, BeerStreetJournal.com. Stormtrooper.

by reidramsayApril 25, 2012

A few days ago we mentioned Brewery Ommegang’s new oak stave aged biere de gard Biere D’Hougoumont. As always planned, the brewery will be releasing this beer in bottles as well. Read about the beer, and get a little history lesson at the same time. The name – D’Hougomont is a farmhouse near Waterloo, Belgium. Remember Waterloo? That’s where British forces faced Napoleon’s army on June 18th, 1815. Napoleon was defeated at that battle. Hougomont translates to “Gum Hill” named for the pine trees on it. The pine gum is harvested to make turpentine.

Hougoumont is brewed with French traditional ale yeast, eight malts, French Strisselspalt hops, and aged on wood. A traditional biere de garde style, this malty French-style farmhouse ale is brewed to be aged. The name honors the Hougoumont farmstead at the pivitol center of the waterloo battlefield. Napolean repeatedly failed to take the farmstead, he then lost the battle and “met his waterloo.”

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